Everett man held for string of arsons

EVERETT — An Everett man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail early Friday morning for investigation of a string of arsons.

Police and firefighters discovered three fires in late March in the 9300 and 9400 blocks of Evergreen Way.

Two fires occurred inside vehicles March 29. One caused about $10,000 damage, destroying a Chevrolet Cobalt.

Surveillance video showed a man walking next to a business March 28. He was trying to set items on fire with a hand-held lighter and succeeded in igniting a mattress before walking away, court papers said.

Video taken April 14 showed the man at Explorer Middle School in south Everett. He was lighting objects on fire as he walked along, court papers said.

A “small fire smoldered for several hours before Everett Fire was called to put it out,” Everett police officer Aaron Snell said.

No major damage was reported on the campus.

“Additional arson cases are being investigated by detectives,” Snell said.

The suspect, 26, initially was detained Thursday night in connection with an unrelated malicious mischief incident at his apartment.

Police are looking for potential witnesses to the fires.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man who is 5 foot, 10 inches tall. He weighs around 160 pounds and has a crew cut and long full black goatee. During the April fire, the suspect wore a loose light blue-hooded jacket with a gray sweatshirt underneath, dark baggy jeans and white shoes.

Anyone with information about any of the arsons is asked to call 911 or the Everett Police Department tip line 425-257-8450.